Boat lift apparatus



1966 B. 1.. GODBERSEN BOAT LIFT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1964 ,qrram iv Nov. 8, 1966 'B. GODBERSEN 3,284,052

BOAT LIFT APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fl vmwrap 5 yea/v A. Goosaasav United States Patent 3,284,052 BOAT LIFT APPARATUS Byron L. Godbersen, Ida Grove, Iowa Filed July 15, 1964, Ser. No. 382,888 2 Claims. (Cl. 254148) This invention relates generally to boat hoists, and in particularly to an apparatus of an extremely simple and uncomplicated structure for lifting and lowering a boat.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved boat lift apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improvide boat lift apparatus having only two points of support.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a boat lift apparatus comprised of a pair of posts one of which is adapted to engage a portion of a boat dock, and

the other adapted to engage the underwater surface of the ground,

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a boat lift apparatus including a pair of right angular disposed members one of which engages and cradles the underside of a boat, and the other of which is vertically movable to raise and lower the first member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple, but rugged and effective boat lift apparatus capable of attaining all the above mentioned objectives, and which is readily and easily fastened at one side to a boat dock for support thereby.

These objects and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent upon reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a reduced pictorial view of the boat lift apparatus of this invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the boat lift apparatus of this invention, a portion of a boat dock shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 2, and showing alternate positions of a leg and pad by dotted lines;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a structure in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, elevational view of a side post and hoist unit portion of that boat lift apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a reduced fragmentary view of the boat lift of this invention, and showing guide posts useable therewith; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of a guide post of FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the boat lift apparatus of this invention is indicated generally at in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is shown in assembled relation to a boat dock indicated generally at 21. The dock 21 is comprised basically of a platform 22 usually made up of a plurality of planks, and supported by a leg structure 23 resting on the bottom 24 of a lake or the like.

The boat lift apparatus 20 is comprised generally of a frame unit, a lift unit movably mounted on the frame unit, and a hoist unit, all indicated generally at 26, 27 and 28, respectively (FIG. 2). The hoist unit 28 is mounted on the frame unit 26 and operatively connected to the lift unit 27 for raising and lowering the lift unit 27. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the lift unit 27 can be 3,284,052 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 raised above the surface 29 of the water for holding a small craft 30 out of the Water.

The frame unit 26 (FIG. 2) includes an elongated, upstanding, channel-shaped post 31, an upstanding tubular post 32, and a transversely extended spacer bar 33 interconnected between the bases of the posts 31 and 32. Intermediate the length of the post 31, an elongated, right angular support bracket 34 is secured as by welding thereto, and has an upper horizontally disposed flange 36 adapted to be secured to the upper surface of the dock platform 22 by bolts 37.

For adjusting the effective length of the post 32, a leg extension 38 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is provided which is telescopically inserted into the lower tubular end 39 of the post 32. Tranversely aligned vertically spaced pairs of apertures 41 (FIG. 4) are formed in the leg extension 38, each pair of which are alignable with a pair of transversely aligned openings 42 (FIG 4) formed in the leg end 39. An L-shaped locking bolt 43 has an externally threaded end threadably insertable through an internally threaded aperture 41 aligned with an internally threaded opening 42. A foot plate 44 is welded to the base of each extension 38. Thus, irrespective of the engagement position of the post 31 with the dock 21, the opposite post 32 can be adjusted as to length to engage the lake bottom 24.

At the bottom of each post is a U-shaped receptacle 46 (FIG. 4) for receiving an end of the spacer bar 33. A cap screw 47 is insertable through aligned openings (not shown) formed in the receptacle 46 and the spacer bar end. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the upper end 48 of the post 32 is bent outwardly toprovide for the sloped sides of the boat 30.

The lift unit 27 (FIG. 2) includes an elongated tubular cross bar 49 at one end of which is formed a yoke 50 and at the other end of which is formed a vertically disposed, shallow U-shaped plate 51 (FIGS. 2, 6 and 7). A pair of wheels 52 and 53 are rotatably mounted at the upper and lower ends of the plate 51. As best illustrated in FIG. 6, the peripheral edges of the wheels 52 and 53 engage opposite inner wall surfaces 54 of the channel post 31, whereby the plate 51 is guided in vertical movement, and is maintained in a vertical axis against wobbling movement therefrom by the engagement with the post 31.

Disposed at right angles to the cross bar 49, and adapted to engage the underside of the boat 30 is an elongated cradle bar 56 (FIG. 2). A cradle bracket 57 support the center of the cross bar 49, and supports in turn the cradle bar 56 therebeneath by means of a pair of U-bolts 58. The intermediate portion 59 of the cradle bar 56 is depressed slightly to provide for the upper surfaces 61 (FIG. 3) of a pair of redwood planks 62 being level with the upper surface 63 (FIGS. 4 and 7), of the cross bar 49.

Each plank 62 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is bolted to an L- shaped end bracket the end 64 of which depends over an end 66 of the cradle bar 56, and the top 67 of which extends over the end 66. The brackets are in turn secured to the cradle bar ends 66 each by a U-bolt 68 (FIG. 3).

The hoist unit 28 includes a large hand wheel 69 (FIGS. 2 and 8) threadably mounted by an exposed nut 71 on the threaded end 72 of a shaft 73.

The shaft 73 extends through a clutch device 74 (FIG. 8) and a bearing 76, the latter secured within the upper end of the channel post 31, for engagement with a first pulley unit 77. This unit (FIG. 2) is rotatably mounted at the upper end of the post 31 and has one end of a cable 78 secured thereto. The cable depends to an engagement with a projection 79 (FIG. 7) secured to the upper end of the plate 51.

Also secured to the projection 79 is one end 81 of a second cable 82 which is extended through vertically aligned apertures 83 and 84 (FIG. 7) formed in the cross bar 49 and trained about and beneath a second pulley unit 86 mounted in an offset manner to the top of an adjacent receptacle 46. The cable 82 extends transversely above the spacer bar 33 and is trained beneath and about a third pulley unit 87 secured at the bottom end of the tubular post 32. The cable 82 extends upwardly as best illustrated in FIG. 2 and is trained over a fourth pulley unit 88 (FIGS. 2 and secured to the upper end of the post 32. The free end 89 of the cable 82 is secured to the yoke 50 at the outer end of the cross bar 49.

It may readily be appreciated that upon rotation of the first pulley unit 77 to reel in the first cable 78, the attachment of that cable to the plate 51 and the attachment of the second cable 82 to the yoke St] by the means of the pulley units provides for an even and equal upward pull on the cross bar 49 at each end thereof.

The clutch device 74 (FIG. 8) includes a washer 91, a serrated wheel 92 secured to a laterally movable clutch disc 93, and another disc 94 secured to the shaft 73. R0- tation of the wheel 69 in one direction threads it against the washer 91 and results in rotation of the shaft 73 by the frictionally engaged rotation of the clutch discs 93 and 94. The serrated wheel 92 rotates against a pawl 96 (FIG. 8) secured to a latch bar 97 mounted on the post 31. This prevents a release of the shaft 73 and locks it in place as reversed rotation of the serrated wheel 92 is prevented.

A reverse rotation of the hand wheel 69 effects a release of the clutch discs whereby the disc 94 and shaft 73 can rotate in an opposite direction to play out the cables 78 and 82, permitting thereby a lowering of the lift frame 27.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a plurality of upright boat guide posts 98 are secured each to an end of the planks 62. At the base of each post 98, a right angle flange 99 is secured to an arm 101, with the flange 99 secured to the top side of the plank, and the arm 101 secured to the underside of the plank 62.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it is to be remembered that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto Without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A boat lift apparatus comprising in combination:

frame means including a pair of interconnected, transversely spaced, upright posts, one of said posts engageable with a ground surface, said frame means including a flange member secured to the other post and extended laterally therefrom, said flange adapted for engagement to the platform of a conventional boat dock;

lift means including a longitudinally extended bar, a

pair of transversely extended support means secured at opposite ends of said bar, and a cross bar secured to said longitudinal bar, the cross bar having opposite ends guidably engaged with said posts; and hoist means for raising and lowering said lift means, said hoist means including a clutch unit mounted on one post, a first pulley unit also mounted on said one post and operable by said clutch unit, a cable one end of which is connected to said first pulley unit, a second pulley unit mounted at the lower end of said one post, a third pulley unit mounted at the lower end of said other post, and a fourth pulley 'unit mounted at the upper end of said other post, said cable threaded beneath said second and third pulley units and over said fourth pulley unit, said cable secured to said lift means. 2. A boat lift apparatus comprising in combination: frame means including a pair of interconnected, transversely spaced, upright posts, one of said posts engageaible with a ground surface, said frame means including a flange member secured to the other post and extended laterally therefrom, said flange adapted for engagement to the platform of a conventional boat dock, one of said posts having a channel shape; lift means engageable with the underside of a boat and including a cross bar one end of which is guida-bly engaged with the post opposite said channel post, said lift means including further a plate having a pair of aligned, spaced Wheels mounted thereon, said plate mounted within said channel post with the wheels engaging opposite interior surfaces thereof; and hoist means for raising and lowering said lift means, said hoist means including a clutch unit mounted on :one post, a first pulley unit also mounted on said one post and operable by said clutch unit, a cable one end of which is connected to said first pulley unit, a second pulley unit mounted at the lower end of said one post, a third pulley unit mounted at the lower end of said other post, and a fourth pulley unit mounted at the upper end of said other post, said cable threaded beneath said second and third pulley units and over said fourth pulley unit, said cable secured to said lift means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS.

2,643,162 6/1953 Barr 187--9 2,888,152 5/ 1959 Sugg.

3,077,742 2/ 1963 Brown 61-65 3,189,198 6/1965 Filak 21416.42 3,214,139 10/ 1965 Schwerdtfeger 254--l45 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,029,749 5/ 1958 Germany.

905,928 9/ 1962 Great Britain.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOAT LIFT APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: FRAME MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF INTERCONNECTED, TRANSVERSELY SPACED, UPRIGHT POSTS, ONE OF SAID POSTS ENGAGEABLE WITH A GROUND SURFACE, SAID FRAME MEANS INCLUDING A FLANGE MEMBER SECURED TO THE OTHER POST AND EXTENDED LATERALLY THEREFROM, SAID FLANGE ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT TO THE PLATFORM OF A CONVENTIONAL BOAT DOCK; LIFT MEANS INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED BAR, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDED SUPPORT MEANS SECURED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BAR, AND A CROSS BAR SECURED TO SAID LONGITUDINAL BAR, THE CROSS BAR HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS GUIDABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID POSTS; AND HOIST MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID LIFT MEANS, SAID HOIST MEANS INCLUDING A CLUTCH UNIT MOUNTED ON ONE POST, A FIRST PULLEY UNIT ALSO MOUNTED ON SAID ONE POST AND OPERABLE BY SAID CLUTCH UNIT, A CABLE ONE END OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PULLEY UNIT, A SECOND PULLEY UNIT MOUNTED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID ONE POST, A THIRD PULLEY UNIT MOUNTED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID OTHER POST, AND A FOURTH PULLEY UNIT MOUNTED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID OTHER POST, SAID CABLE THREADED BENEATH SAID SECOND AND THIRD PULLEY UNITS AND OVER SAID FOURTH PULLEY UNIT, SAID CABLE SECURED TO SAID LIFT MEANS. 